Poueths to lowell b



(N6 Model.)

M. J. S. MARSHALL.

TRUNK OR GHEST.

No. 377,039. Patented Jan. 31, 1888.

W/TNEEEEE- F751 2.

Nirsn STATES ATENT MOSES J. S; MARSHALL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FOURTHS TO LOYVFLL B. HISOOOK, XVILLIAM F. MILLER, AND APPLETON B. EASTMAN, ALL OF SAME PLACE.

TRUNK OR CHEST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 377,039, dated January 31,1888.

Application filed May 16, 1887. Serial No. 238,377.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MOSES J. S. lllARSHALL, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, ,have invented certain new 5 and useful Improvements in Trunks or Chests,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide improvements in means for hinging lids to the bodies of trunks, chests, and similar articles,

10 whereby when the trunk or chest is opened and the lid is raised to a perpendicular or nearly perpendicular position it will be maintained in such position until purposely closed by the user.

It is also the object of my invention to provide means for hinging the lid to the body of the trunlgwhereby when the lid is opened it will be carried bodily forward, thus obviating the necessity of moving forward from the wall, should it chance to be placed thereagainst, in order to open the lid, as is common in trunks as ordinarily constructed.

It is also the object of the invention to provide improved means for keeping the lid of the trunk in place when being handled, as by baggage-men, express-men, and others.

it is common for users of trunks, clothesehests,&c., in seeking access tosuch articles, to want the lid thereof to be sustained in opened or raised position while the contents of the trunk are being examined or removed, and it not infrequently happens that the construction is such as to secure abare balancing of thelid when lifted to vertical position, so that a slight jar or movement is liable to eauseit to fall and injure, and certainly perplex,the user. Again, in instances where trunks of common construction are placed with their backs to the wall, it is necessary for the trunk to be moved bodily forward in order to open the lid and prevent marring the wall or the paper thereon.

My invention overcomes the objections mentioned; and it consists in a hinge comprising two straps or pieces of metal, each pivoted at one end to the end of the trunk-lid and at the other end to thesides of the body of the trunk, in such position that when the lid is .raised to-vertical position it will be moved forward and rest on the sides or ends of the 5o-trunk and be braced or maintained in that (No model.)

position against accidental falling or closing, and will be moved backward to place when closed, one such hinge being provided for each side or end of the trunk or chest.

My invention also consists in providing the rear side or wall of the trunk or chest with one or more metallic hook shaped devices, which,when the lid is closed, is adapted to be engaged by similar devices secured to the rear portion of the lid, and so receive and divide with the hinges any strain or jar that might be brought upon or given to the trunk with a tendency to break the lid therefrom.

My invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and subsequently pointed out in the claims.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 represents aperspective view of a trunk or chest having my improvements applied thereto, the lid being shown as raised. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the same. Fig. 3 is also a vertical crossseetion, the lid being represented as closed.

lhe same letters indicate the same parts wherever they occur.

In the drawings, let A indicate the body of the trunk or chest, and B the lid. I connect or hinge the lid to the body by means of two straps of metal, Z 3, each pivoted at one end to the lid and at the other to the trunk-body. Strap s is by preference a short strip pivoted at its lower end, as at a, to the outside of the end of the trunk near the rear thereof, and at its upper end, as at b, to the outside of the rear end portion of the lid, while strapl is somewhat longer than strap 8, and is pivoted at its ends, as at c d, to the inside of the body and lid at points forward of the pivotal points ab ofstrap 3. One such hinge or pair ofstraps is, as shown, provided for each side or end of the trunk, and with this consl ruction when the lid is closed itwill [it squarely on the body, and when opened to a perpendicular position, as represented in Figs. 1 and 2, it will be carried bodily forward, and so that its rear edge, 1', will rest on the top t of the end portions 0 and be braced or held in this position by means of the straps l s, which will be inclined from the lid to the body in opposite directions, so that to close the lid it will be necessary to plates, f, to the outside rear portion of the body near the upper edge thereof,'which plates are provided with hooks you their upper ends, which hooks are adapted to be engaged when the lid is closed by like features of catch-plates h, secured at opposing points on the lid, as shown in Fig. 3. When the lid is raised, the hook of one plate is naturally disengaged from the other without hinderance to the operation of the lid or use of the trunk.

WVhere but a single pair of hook-plates are employed, as has been mentioned may be done,

both plates f and h will extend the entire length of the trunk, and so provide a guard against the entrance of dust and rain or water. By this means an exceedingly simple and easily and cheaply constructed hinge is provided, and one-that is thoroughly efficient as a device for maintaining the lid in raised position,as a hinge, as a device for fastening the lid tothe body, and as a contrivance whereby it is rendered unnecessary to move the trunk forward from the wall in order to open the lid.

It is of course obvious that the several parts need not be of the precise size and form rep resented, and that they need not be arranged exactly as shown, as they may be varied in these respects without departing'from the nature or spirit of the invention. I It will be seen that the forward motion of the lid when it is opened carries it forward of the back of the trunk, so that the trunk does not require it to be moved forward from the wall to permit the opening of the cover, as in all other trunks.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a trunk or chest, the combination, with the body, of the lid connected to thebody by means of hinges, each consisting of two straps, each of which straps is pivoted at one end to the side or end of the lid and at the other to the side or end of the trunk-body, whereby when the lid is raised to vertical position it will be raised and carried bodily forward, substantially as described.

2. In a trunk or chest, the combination, with the body and the side or end of the lid, of two hinge-straps, each pivoted at one end to the lid and at the other to the side or end of the body, in such position as to incline in opposite directions from the lid when the latter is raised, as set forth.

3. In a trunk or chest, the combination, with the body and lid, of ahook-plate, f, secured to the body, and a catch-plate, h, secured to the lid at a point opposite the catch-plate. the construction and arrangement being such as that the hook-plate will be engaged by the catch-plate when the lid is closed, both the hook-plate and the catch-plate extending the entire length of the trunk, as set forth;

4. In a trunk or chest, the combination, with the body and lid, of the hinges comprising the straps Z 8, each pivoted at one end to the body of the trunk and at the other to the lid, and the hook-platef, secured to the body, and the catch-plate h, secured to an opposing point of the lid, 'as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification,in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this lOth day of May, A.

MosEs J. s. MARSHALL.

Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN,

ARTHUR W. OROSSLEY. 

